Ever Wonder If Indeed.com Works?

November 14, 2017 at
16:59 pm

By:
Mary Gibbs

Indeed.com is a popular choice for recruiters and jobseekers alike. Is it effective?

The Statistics Behind Hiring

A SilkRoad report, Top Sources of Hire, shows that employee referrals deliver more hires than Indeed, despite lower interview rates. While Indeed has the most hires out of the four online sources in the survey, person-to-person networking is the most effective strategy.

For positions paying over $100,000, networking is the most successful strategy according to a candidate tracking statistics report, which shows that 50% of candidates found their position in this way. Employment agencies are still strongly used and effective.

While job boards may be attractive to job-seekers, there are better alternatives, particularly for senior level employees and executives. Search firms and networking are vital to success.

What do users think of the effectiveness of Indeed.com?

Negative Reviews from Users

On SiteJabber, some users complain of costly fees, or having accounts shut down without warning.

“We are a recruitment agency, and focused on one particular segment,” reads one review. “Recently Indeed deactivated all [our] free postings, and are asking for sponsorship. When I contacted Indeed, they shared their terms where Indeed can choose to stop any free [ads] for anyone and ask them for sponsorship. They did this without specifying the reasons to stop free [ads].”

Consumer Affairs reviews offer similar stories, with one reviewer noting, “My customer rep persuaded our small business to post ads that ended up costing us thousands of dollars and then made no apologies or concessions in response except to say they had tried to call me. This company should and almost certainly will fail as more employees are exposed to their unethical and unfair practices. Employers and candidates deserve much better. And cannot get much worse.”

Alternatives to Indeed and Other Similar Sites

Large databases of job seekers may be attractive at first glimpse, but when you delve into the issues users are facing, especially high costs for potentially low rewards, and the frustration of dealing with a large, faceless company, the alternatives become far more appealing.

Employment agencies and search firms are thriving because the online recruiting model doesn’t really work for senior-level hires (unless organizations have very strong internal Talent Acquisition teams who work like an agency). This makes all the difference when it comes to hiring. Instead of investing in a generic job posting on a job board where anyone can apply and wasting time for the employer dealing with a deluge of applicants, employers can choose from the best of the best, all handpicked with your company’s specific needs in sight with strong guarentees.

Mary Gibbs is the Managing Partner of an exclusive HR search firm located in the Boston area. You may contact Mary at: www.gibbshrconsulting.com